Automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus



`uly 1, 1930.

Filed March 23, 1928 RIVQ.

` rial.

Patented July l, 1930 irse STATES Y PATENTi OFFICE FISHER L. BOYD, 0FIIAVERFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL FOAM SYSTEM, INC., OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; A CORPORATION OF DELA- AUTOMATICFIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Appiiation md-Maron 2a, 192s. serial No.264,044.

My invention relates to re extinguishing apparatus which is adapted tobe installed in buildings and which also is adapted to operateVautomatically for the extinguishment of a lire which may originate in abuilding or in any room of a building in which the means is located for.discharging and distributing the fire-extinguishing mate- The generalobject of the invention is to provide means whereby upon the occurrencevof a lire Yat any selected point, whether in a building or not,fire-extinguishing foam is roduced and released to extinguish such re.

It also isan object of the invention to provide a system of pipes havingportions terminating in different rooms, which pipes have connectionwith foam-generating means and with each other, associated with meanswhereby upon the occurrence of a fire in any one of such rooms thesystem is operated to produce fire-extinguishing foam which is deliveredto such room and applied for the extinguishment of the fire which may bepresent therein.

yTo these and other ends my invention comprehends the construction andarrangement as hereinafter described in detail, particularly pointed outin the claims, and as'illustrated in the "drawing wherein. I haveVHtherein.

" In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly schematic,I

shown a construction which at present is that preferred by me. However,it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiment inother specific forms of construction than that shown and that changes inthe details of construction and arrangement may be made within the scopeof the claims without departin from the said invention or the princip einvolved of a construction embodying the invention, the walls of therooms within a building within which portions of the constructionV arelocated being shown in sectional plan; and Fig.` 2 is a section taken onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1. f j

In the drawing I have indicated at 1 the outer walls of a buildingdivided by the transverse walls or partitions 2 into three separaterooms. Into these separate rooms pipes 3, 4, and 5 project, each ofwhich pipes is provided with discharge nozzles indicated at 6, fromwhich fire-extinguishing foam is adapted to be discharged into theparticular rooml within which a particular pipe may-be located. Each ofthese pipesy also is connected to controllable means by which thelire-extinguishing foam-producing ingredients or elements are adapted tobe vsupplied thereto so that the said foam is produced within theindividual pipes which project into the respective rooms.

In the drawing the rooms are indicated as being of relatively smalldimensions, so that a single pipe projecting thereinto is suiicient tosupply the foam necessary for the extinguishment of a fire therein, butit will be understood that in the" case of larger rooms a plurality ofpipes may be provided therein in order that the entire area of the roommay be subjected to the action ofthe l water supply. For the purpose ofsupplyj ing the ingredients necessary to the production offire-extinguishing foam I have provided hoppers 17 and; 18, the first ofwhich is 'in communication `with the pipe 13 and the second of which isin communication with the pipe 14. The form of connection vis shown inFig. 2 of the drawing. I shall not describe in detail the constructionof the connection between the hoppers and the pipes 13 and 14 nor theymanner in which the material therein, which is in powdered form, iswithdrawn therefrom into 'the pipes and carried forward thereln, becausetheir construction and operation may be identical with that illustratedin Fig. 1 of my pending application for Letters Patent filed March 2,1927, Serial No. 17 7 ,988. However,

'i it will be understood that any other suitable Aseparatel to the meansmay be employed for containingi and supplying the foam-producing ingeents pipes 13 and 14. he fireextinguis ng foam-producing1 ingredientsemployed in the respective oppers may consist of any suitable knownsubstances,

but those generally used and which are preferred b me are aluminumsulphate in powdere form, of a fineness which will permit it to flowthrough a 40-mesh screen, and powdered bicarbonate of soda. With one orthe otherof these substances, or both, a

sulphate and bicarbonate of soda, are retained and are at all timespresent in the respective hoppers 17 and 18, ready to enter the res tivepipes 13 and 14 as occasion may arise. For the purpose of controllingthe supply of water from the su ply pipe 16 to the Y-shaped fitting 15an through the branches thereof to the pipes 13 and 14 is takencontainin I have provided a valve at 20, and for the purpose ofcontrolling the flow of the liquid the substances, aluminum sulphate anbicarbonate of soda, insolution, rom the pipes 13 and 14 to any one ofthe pipes 3, 4, or 5 I have rovided valves 21 and 22 in the respectiveranch ipes 7 and 8, 9 and 10, and 11 and 12. T e o nin and closing ofall of these valves is a a te to be automatically effected by means w'ch will now be described. Q

' For operating the various valves to which ref erence Ihas been madeelectric current is relied uppln. The current lfor this purpose om themain supply lines 25 and 26, the former being indicated as positive andthe latter as negative. Associated with the respective valves areelectromagnets 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33. The circuits throughthese ma ets are connected to the main lines 25 an 26 and are inparallel. 'ILhe closing of the res ective circuits is controlled bymeans of re ays 35, 36, 37 and 38, which operate in known manner. Therelays 36, 37, and 38 are connected to therespective branch 'circuits40,41, and 42 which extend throu li the respective rooms of thebuilding, as s own, the said branch circuits being normally open, asindicated. For the purpose of closing the said circuits I have providedin association with each of them thermostatic closin means, indicatedlat 43. The thermostatic evice or element consists of a strip of metalcomprising two sheets secured together, which sheets expand unequallyuon the application of heat thereto, as a resu t of which the saidelement bends and in bending contacts with an opposing stationarycontact 44. The operation of thermostatic devices of this character iswell known and in consequence I shall not describe the same more fully.Each of these thermostatic contact closing devices is identical and adescription of one -constitutes a. description of all. It will be notedthat there are four of these thermostatic contact closing devicesassociated with each of the branch lines 40, 41, and 42. Assume for themoment that a fire occurs in the room within which the gripe 3 islocated, and assume that any one o t e thermostatic contact devices isoperated to cause a movable thermostatic element to contact with thestationary contact to close the branch circuit 40. Upon the closing ofthe said circuit current will flow from the line 25 through the circuitwhich includes the coil of the rela 36. The flow of current therethroughwil close the relay and -ermit current to flow through the branc circuitindicated as'a whole at 45. This circuit includes the electromagnets 28and 29, the energization of which causes the valves 21 and 22 to open'.Simultaneously.

the relay 35 is closed as' the result of current flowin .through thecoil of the malgnet thereo The closing of the said relay c oses thecircuit 46 through the electromagnet 27, the energization o whichresults-in the opening of the valve at 20. Water therefore is permitted to flowfrom the 16 through the Y-itting 15 and thence t rough the p1 s 13 and14. The flow of water throug these ipes effects the withdrawal of thepowdered substance from the hoppers 17 and 18, to which reference hasbeen made already. These substances are dissolved during the forwardflow of the water in the ipes 13 and 14, and the valves 2,1 and 22 avingbeen opened, the water flows throu h the branch pipes 7 and 8 and unitesin t e pipe 3. The uniting of the solutions of the respective substancesresults in the formation of foam, which is discharged from the nozzles6. The discharge of this foam into the room where the ire is locatedresults in the extinguishment of the iire in well known manner.

In like manner the relays at 37 and38 are adapted to be closed upon theoccurrence of a lire in either the room in which pipe 4 is located orthe room in which pipe 5 is located. The tracing of the circuits may bemade in exactly the same manner as has been made in connection with therelay 36 in the case in which a re has been assumed t'o have taken placein the room within which the pipe 3 islocated. l

If fire should originate simultaneously in all of the lrooms illustratedall three of the relays 36, 37, and 38 would be closed and the valvesinthe r tive branch pi s 7 and 8, 9 and 10, an 11 and 12 wou d be openedwith the simultaneous opening of the llO valve at 20. This would resultin the simultaneous supply of fire-extinguishing foaml to all three ofthe rooms, or to a reater or less number in accordance with t e designof the apparatus to effect simultaneous extinguishment of the fire inall of the rooms. It Will be understood that the apparatus should bedesigned in accordance with engineering principles to meet theconditions as to quantity of Water to be supplied and as to othermatters of a practical character Well understood by engineers or otherpersons skilled in the subject matterto which the invention relates.

It will be seen that I have provided a system of fire protection ofsimple construction by the employment of which fire-extinguishing foammay be produced and suppliedA automaticallyl toany room or to any numberof rooms of a building which may be included Within the system. When theefficiency vof foam for the extinguishment of fires is considered andrealized the importance of my invention, by means of which provision ismade for the automatic application of foam in the manner as described,will be apparent. p

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

l. Automatic iire-extinguishing apparatus for protecting buildings andthe like, com-A prising single pipes located Within the regions to beprotected which pipes are propipes extending in distant relation to thesaid regions which are to be protected, sets of branch pipes connectedto the said couple of pipes, the pipes of each of said sets unitingl inone of the first-named pipes, means for supplying foam-producingsubstances to the respective pipes of the said couple of pipes, a valvefor controlling the flow of water to the said couple of pipes, valvesfor controlling the iow of Water containing said foam-producingsubstances from said couple of pipes to the said first-named pipes,

' and means located Within the respective regions to be protected by theapparatus, the means in any region adapted to be operated by the heatgenerated by a fire occurrin in such region to open the valves to permitoyv of water containing the said substancesto and through the pipe insuch region.

- 2. Automatic fire-.extinguishing apparatus for protecting' a buildingagainst fire, comprismg pipes located at different points Within saidbuilding, said pipes each being provided with a plurality odischargeopen ings, a couple o main pipes, branch pipes connected respectively tothe said couple of pipes and also connected with each firstnamed pipe, apipe for supplying water to the said couple of pipes, means forsupplying foam-producing substances separately to the pipes of saidcouple of pipes, valves for controlling the flow of Water containingsaid substances through the said couple of pipes and from the latterthrough the said .branch pipes to each first-'named pipe, and meanscommon to the valves which control the flow .of water containing-saidsubstances to any one oit the first-named pipes for controlling the saidvalves tope'rmit the flow of Water containing the said foam-producingsubstances to such rst-named pipes. i

` 3. Automatic lire-extinguishing ap aratus, comprising a plurality ofpipes eac -extending into a room or-other region which it is desired toprotect from `fire and each being provided With discharge o eningsthrough which fire-extinguishing foam is adapted to bedischarged, acouple of pipes, branch pipes connected at intervals respectively to thesaid couple of pipes and to the opening and closing of said valves, andv means located Within the respective regions to be protected by thefirst-named pipes vided with discharge openings, a couple of' adapted tobe actuated by the heat genere against fire, comprising a pipe locatedin the said portion to be protected which pipe is provided with openingsthrough which re extinguishing foam is adapted to be discharged, acouple of pipes throughv which lWater containing substances in solutionis adapted to How, which solutions when united produce re-ex-tinguishingfoam, a set of branch pipes which extend` from the said couple of pipesto the said yfirst-named pipe, means for supplying Water to the saidcouple of pipes, a valve for controlling the flow of water into saidcouple of pipes', means for supplying foam-producing substancesseparately to the respective pipes of the said couple, valves forcontrolling the flow of water containing said foamroducing substances insolution from' t e said couple of pipes through the said set of branchpipes to the said first-named pipe,

means adapted to operate to open and close the said first and secondnamed valves, and means located within the said portion of the buildingto be rotected which is adapted to be actuated y the heat generated by afire which may originatein said portion to actuate the said valvecontrolling means for opening said valves to permit the solutions.

of foam-producing substances to flow through the said branch pipes intothe rstnamed pi e wherein the foam is produced by the unitin of the twostreams of foamproducing so utions from the said set ofl ranch pipes.

5. Automatic fire-extinguishing a paratus for protecting buildings andthe l' e, the said buildings each comprising any number of rooms, thesaid apparatus comprising pipes which respectively extend into the saidrooms, a cou le of pipes located outside of a building to e protected,branch pipes connected to the said couple of pipes which branch pipesare arranged in couples, those of each said second mentioned couplebeing united in one of the first-named i es, means for supplyin water tothe sai rst mentioned couple o pipes, a valve for controlling the flowof water into said first mentioned couple of pipes, means for supplyingfoam-producing substances to the respective pipes of the said firstmentioned couple of pipes, valves for controlling the flow of watercontaining said r,foam-producing substances from` said first mentionedcouple of pipes through the-said branch pipes to the rst-named pipes,means for opening and closing the said first and second named valves,and means located within the respective rooms to be protected -by theapparatus which means in said respective. rooms is adapted to beoperated by the heat of a fire occurring in a room to cause actuation ofthe valves for lcontrolling the flow of water containmg-saidfoam-producing substances into and through the pipe located in the saidroom.

InI testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention vI havehereunto signed my name this 22nd day of March, A. D. 1928. FISHER L;BOYD.

